This was discovered by them testing a variety of chants on footballers and monitoring the impact it had on their game and ability to score penalties.

Players also underwent brain scans and their heart rates were monitored while listening to the selection of chants -- which focused around three syllable words.

The researchers picked three syllable words because they are said to have the best rhythm and be most memorable… footballers also stood a better chance of understanding small words.

Dr Lewis said: "The phenomenon of group consciousness and the power of belief have been well documented within religion (e.g. prayer), medicine (e.g. the placebo effect) and political and social beliefs within communities.

"The chanting and cheering of football fans have also proved to have profound effect on the performance of teams and individual players; this ‘12th man effect’ can be summarised by Danny Blanchflower (ex Spurs footballer): ‘The noise of the crowd, the singing and the chanting, is the oxygen we players breathe’.